Folding mechanism



April 1935- .J. D. SPILLANE 1,997,126

FOLDING MECHANISM Filed 0013. 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Shee'l', l

A'r'r'Ys.

J. D. SPILLANE FOLDING MECHANISM April 9, 1935.

Filed Oct. 15, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IVEN'I'OR April 9, 1935. .J. D. SPILLANE FOLDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 April 9, 1935- J. D. SPILLANE 1,997,126

FOLDING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 15, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 it w Patented Apr. 9, 1935 ,UNlTE-D STATES,

FOLDINGMECHANISM' a James DQ Spillane, New York,. Y.-, assignor to f R. Hoe & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York; Irving Trust Company,

permanent trustee iApplication October- 1931, Serial Nb. 568,941 7 I 15 Claims (Cram-561T. 3

1. This inventionrelates to certain improvements in-iipin. operatingme'chanism for use withithe folding cylinders employedin connection with printing machines.

a.) -.In a copending application of J. B. Tomlin,

Serial No. 492,990, there is shown and described a folding mechanism in which an improved con-j structionis provided for quickly shifting or changing the sheet taking Spins and folding blades from collect to non-collectpositions' a t is the'e special object oi the present invention 7 to "improve and simplify the mechanism shown in said'application-by which the sheet taking pin'sj'may be readily moved'from collecting posi tion to non-collecting position and vice versa. It is a'further object of the invention to produce a mechanism of few partsfor effecting this change which-can be operated from outside the cylinder. Y n

With theseand other objects not' specifically referred to in View, the invention consists in "certain novel parts, arrangements and combinations, which will be described inconnection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features I pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In these -drawings,--

7 Figure 1' is an endview of a folding and collectingcylinder, partly in section, showing the'invention; l I f I Figure 2 is a detail sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the mechanism embodying the invention; the view being taken in the direction of arrow 2-3 of Figure 1, showing'the non-collect position; r V

Figure 3 is a View similar 'to' Figure Zshcwirig the parts incollect position; Figure 4 is a detail view, partly broken 1 away and partly in section'of part of the controlling mechanism; "the view being taken on the opposite side of the machine from that shown in Figurefl and in the direction of arrowd of Figure 5;

Figure 5 is a detailend view of the construction shown in Figure 4, looking in the direction of arrow 5- of that figure; I v I Figure 6'is asectional view of the folding cylinder showing the sheet'holdingpins and the mechanism for operatingthe folding blades;

Figure '7 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3 and showing a portion of the means for silencing (meet the folding bladesian'd l V Figures 8, 9 and 10 are enlargedviewsshowing detail parts of the mechanism for silencing one of the folding blades, as' view'ed in the direction of'arrow 8, 9 ID of Figurefi; 1 H

IR'eferring nowto these drawings, theinvention pending Tomlin application, Serial has been shown asembodied in a;folding. and collecting cylinder'in which the collecting devices are in' the form of pins," which are projected 'be-' yond the cylinder wall toitake a-sheet,'or sheets, and rocked or retractedto' release :the sheet.

Thisi cylinder is marked I in the. drawings? and is 4 supported on su'itable cylindrical bearing bush ings 48a carried by eccentric bushings 48, which are mounted in anysuitablefraining 3, 4; Inthe particular mechanism 'shown,"this collecting cylinder is what is'known asa three part collecting cylinder and is'providedwith threesets'of sheet taking lpins, "marked 5; 5" and: 5! 'inlFigur'e' 1, and these pinsare carried on rockshafts 6 suit.-v

ablymountedin thecylin'der'heads or ends [it being understoo'dthat any desired number of-pins may be*used' on, each pin shaft, two such pins being indicated in Figure 2. Ii In .accordancewith the invention and'in the machine shown; an improved; mechanism? is pro-'- vided for' operating the pinlshafts :soiaslto cause the pinsito operate-to take and release a sheet on each one-third revolution of the cylinder when not co1lecting,.orto take and release three collected products on each two revolutions :ofFthe cylinder when a product is to. bepco'llected, this mechanism being such that itfcan be operated from without the cylinder. That-is; each set of pins acts to permit: the foldingofi of a productrat each revolution .of the cylinderwhen not collecting or 'at I each: alternative :revolutioh of the cylinder when-collecting.v

While, the specific mechanism employed may besomewhat'varied, asshown; the rock shafts .6

havezconn'ected':theretocam: rolls 8, B'and 8",

which are adapted toengage in a cam groove .'9 of a Cam In, and the shafts 6 are normally;biased taking positions by any suitable means such, for. example, 'as'the springs Zemployedr in the .00.- No; 492,990. This cam '10 .issecured-as by bolts H, to swinging arm 12 pivoted on studs 13 securedin an annular member or ring .14; ring is a two part ring-the parts being-clamped together by screw boltslS; shown in Figure 1'.

The annular the frame of thamachim soasto ,be'zfixedrelatively to the "cylinder in ianyasuitablemanner. 7 In the best constructions, however, this connec-' tion will be .an adjustableione so that the .point at which the rollsi8, 8 andx8'7iwill engage the cam groovefimay be varied, to-varythe time of operation of the. sheet taking pins} therefore secured-so as to be rotatable relatively to hold the sheet. taking pins in impaling or sheet member'or. ring Mris secured to The ringis to the cylinder. Asshowmit is secured to a boss IS on the machine frame by bolts I! working in slots l8 in the ring so that the ring may be given a small rotary adjusting movement. This is effected in the construction shown by right and left hand adjusting screws I9, 28, best shown in Figure 1, suitable lock-nuts2l being provided to hold the parts in adjustedposition; These screws work in a block 22 secured to' the cap piece220 by bolts 22L This block is slotted, as at 222, and receives a screw bolt 223 which engages with a projection or ear 2'24 on thering, with which bolt the screws engage, so that when they are operated the ringjis moved back and forth. d 3 1 It will be understood from "the description of the mechanism just given that when not collecting the cam rolls 8, 8', 8". eachengagethe cam groove 9 on every revolution of the cylinder, so that three products are folded on" at each revolution. When collecting, however, the swinging cam I is swung out of the way :o'feachalternate roll and lets it pass bywithoutengaging it, and

thus each of the rock. shafts will be operated once in each two revolutions,- and the mechanism -for ,operating'the swinging camand for shifting from non-collect to collect; position will nowbedescribed. Q

. Referring to Figuresz to 4, the swinging cam H! has dependingtherefrom an .arm in which is secured one end of an actuator-rod 23. This rod, at its other and passes through a block 24 and is providedwith acollar v25, between which and the block is a'spring 26. Beyond the block, the end of the rod is-hollowed, as shown, at 21,

'; to receive a short rod" on a hub, the rod 23 being secured'to rod 28in any suitablemanner. This hub'29 is a swinging. hubandcarries a short shaft 38, shown in Figure 5, to which is secured a cam roll 3|, the hubsand associated parts being supported by a bracket 32 suitably secured to the frame 4 of themachi'na'before referred to. g L j This cam roll -3l engages a face cam- 33. car-. ried by one of the operating gears of the cylinder, marked 34, .though'it may be otherwise supported if desired. V T .1

It will beunderstood that the action. of the spring rod 23 is to push'the swinging cam'lll out of engagement with the cam rolls 8, 8, 8", but that themovement of the cam roll 3l tends to pull it into the path of the rolls.8,.the. parts being so arranged and timed in the machine shown that this will occur so that three products are folded ofl at each two revolutions "of'the. cylinder, this position being. shown in Figure 3.

When now it is desired to operate the "cylinder I so that three products are folded off at each revolution, thatis, when no collecting is to be done, means are provided for' swinging the cam "i i ion to en age'the-mus 8,18, .s." at

each revolution of the cylinder I. .Whilethese means may be somewhat varied, there is provided an operating hand lever 35, the movement of which in one direction,silences the" folding blade 36-and allows the cam roll 3| toioperatethe swinging earn l0 when it is desiredto-form collected products. As shown, this hand lever .is pivoted on a hub 31 on a short shaft 38 supported in a bracket 33suitably secured t the framing of the machine." This. shaft: is; extended as shown 1 in Figure I, and has secured thereto a yoke arm 40 to which is connected an operating rod 4! which slides in a hub guide 42. one. bracket 43 secured to the frame of the. machine. One end .of

1,997,126 I v the shaft 38 is also carried by a hub 43 on the folded off the cylinder at every revolution;

As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the folding blades 36 and 36 are provided which act to fold the product into the bite of folding off rollers 44 and 45 in a well known maner. Two folding blades 36 and 36' and theirmechanism are shown. Both of these bladesoperate when the cylinder is not collecting but only one of them operates when the cylinder is collecting, as will hereinafter be more fully described. 7

As shown in Figure 7 these folding blades are supported in'blade holders 12, 13, which are rotatably mounted in ball bearings 74, 'supported on the ends of-the frame 75 secured to a shaft 41; At one end, each of the blade holders is provided with a, gear 16, and this gear'is in mesh with an intermediate gear 11, supported on studs 18 on the frame 15, before referred to, this intermediate cylinder I is rotated, the gears 11 travel around 7 the gear and drive the gears '58 to rotate the folding blades and causes them to fold products off to the folding rolls. It will be understood that with this construction, the folding blades are kept within the cylinder except at the time whenthey are to fold the product off into the bite of the folding rolls. For a straight run, both folding blades are driven, but for folding a collected product, one of them is silenced by a mechanism which is operablefromoutside the cylinder and which is fully disclosed in a pending application of John R. Tomlin, Serial No. 492,990 filed November 3,- 1930. This'mechanism operates in conjunction with the mechanism by which a change in the operation of the sheet taking pins is effected.

In the construction illustrated, the shaft 41 is hollowed out at one end to receive an actuating rod 8 I-, this rodhaving a sliding movement in the shaft. The outer end of the shaft 41 has an interlocking collar 82, secured thereto and the rod 8| projects beyond the collar and carries anactuator head 83 at the end. This head, as shown in Figure 7, lies in a recess 84 in the control handle 35, which controls the operation of the swinging cam before referredto, The recess 84 of the operating handle has formed in its inner walls, a pair of ears 88, one of which is shown in Figure 7, the other ear being directly behind it on the op posite. side of the rod 8|. When the handle is moved to the left, as shown in Figure 2, these ears engage the head 83 and pull the sliding rod outward. To force or move it inwardly or toward the right, as shown in Figure 'Lthe handle is provided with a cap 89 having a lug 98 which acts to force the rod inwardly into theshaft. The operation of this handle 35' effects the change from the collect to the non-collect opera- .a corresponding clutch ige'emee arate adjustment being reduiredain the mecha nism foroperating the pins or inthe' mechariism for operating the folding -blades. x v 2 1 The push rod'Bl is provided-with '.slot 9 I :which receives one end of a lever 92' pivoted: at 93 in-a yoke bracket 94 secured tothe' frame15,-before referred to. The other end 95-01- this leverarm en gages in a in a'rod- Slslidin'g. inla bracket journal 98, also 115. The other end of this push rod 91 'carrie's:'a*forked lever I00. The lower end lllljo'fthis forked-lever engages a groove "I02 of a clutchcollan ifl3,"slid-' able on the end of the folding blade shaftindi cated by the numeral 104. This clutch engages member 105' forming; a the hub of one of the gears =16 ,which "blade portionof drives the a shaft I04 carrying: the foldin To shift froma non-collect to a'collctpositiom the operating-handle- 353s shifted from thep'osition shown in Figure'2: to theposition shown Figure 3. movement ofthe handlepas best shown in -.Figure' '7, operates the: rodv 8 which throughzthe yoke leverl M and its yoke 1 02 disen gages the clutch and brings it intothe position shown in Figure 10. This clutch being disengaged;

gears 16 and 11 operate idly and-thefolding blade 7 36 is silenced so. stopped. M R V In the preferred constructiongprovision-ismade for locking the thatfits folding ofi function handle 35 so that it; can be op erated to change the m'echanism' fromj collecting to non-collect position or vice versa; only when the parts 'are in the correct relativepos'ition toiproperly efiect the change; The locking collar B2 is provided with a =groovelB9"-with which a'projection I ID on an extension H-l of the-operating handle is adapted'to' engages L :iWhen'rthe'groove I09 and the projectioni lflnregisterji'the handle may be moved from one positionto the other, but with the groove iniany other-pos1tion=; .the .handle is locked against movement ns-shown'inlFigures 8 to 10, a springrod rounded end l l3 and working in a bracket H, secured on a stud H5, on which thegearfll is supported. The clutch member I03 is'provided with anotch H6 with which this rounded end of the spring rod is adapted toenga'ge; m the noncollect position, the spring rod is snapped outside of the clutch member, thus preventing. any. right Figure 8. shown in Figure 10,1the round end p hand endwise movement,ias shownm In the position H3 of the rod H2 is snapped :to'theinner side of the clutch member I03 and a stop il.l'l;now.en-

thus holding the folding blade inlockedposition for operatingon a collect run. In Figure -9, the parts-areshowninjatransition position and it will-.be. noted that the rounded end H3 engages-with the-Jcl'utch H6, thus positioningthe shaft! and therparts carried thereby so the sliding 'clutch. -member. will engage either the coacting clutch member 15 or the stop H1. With this construction, it will be seen that the shift from collect to non-collect and vice versa may be made quicklyfrom hine. The handle 35 is or non-collect position, by means ofa hand operated pin construction I 8, this pin being engageable with holes H9, formed in the arm bracket 39, before referred to, and thus the parts position during either collect or non-collect operation.

It will be understood that the collecting cylinder cooperates with means for feeding sheets or 'cam'pivoted to the arm,

of a folding "cylinder,

a web thereto and, where aweb is 'fediwithsuit? able cutting;mechanismflthese mechanisms :not showm as unnecessary for an under It' will beseen with the construction shown and described that a very effective and simple means has been provided for shifting the parts iroincollect 'to non-collectf position:- and vice versa, and

while the inventi'on'has'beenshown and described in its preferred form it' :will' be understood: that certain changesandivariati'ons may be .made' in the particular-constructionshown and described without :departing from the invention as defined in the claims hereunto annexed; What is claimed is: 1: v

11. In a'f folding -mechanism, the combination of a: folding cylinder, sets of sheet taking pins carried thereby, means for operating a set oi pins: on naltern' te revolutions of :the cylinder whengcollecting, a support fixed: relatively to the cylinder,-a swinging can'r pivoted on the support, rolls "cooperating with' the cam, means l for causing engagement of arolland cam on each revolution of K the cylinder w when not collecting,' 'and means for adjusting th "support to adj'ust the position of thecamr'elatively to the cylinder. 7 f

2. In a folding mechanism, the combination of .fiy-fOldlIlE- cylinder; sheet taking pins carried thereby, an-annul'ar member fixed relatively to the cylinder; an arm pivoted inethe member',- a a roll cooperating with the -.cam, i means for swingin'gthe =camff from collect tc; non-collect position, and-means for adjusting the annularmember relatively tothe cylinder; a I c- 3 In az-folding mechanism, the combination "sheet taking 1 pins carried thereby, a supportfii'red relatively tothecylinder, 7

a :cam lpivoted. on the support, rolls cooperating withithe. cam; a.'springrodconnect'edwith the cam normally tending to hold it out of the path of the rolls; a second'gcar'n': to which the rod is connected acting to causeg the rod to: move the pivoted cam into the path ofacam roll at' 'alternate revolutionsof thecylinder; a handleniount edfor convenient manipulation outside the cylinder: and a connection operated by the handle thescam so that it engages "a cam rollratievery revolutioncf the cylinder. 4- a '4, In afolding mechanism, the: combination of-z a' folding cylinder, three'r'sets' ofi-s'heet taking me carried thereby, 1 acam :ror actuating a, the

for swinging pins to f old' off three collected products at each two: revolutions of: the 7 cylinder when :collecting, aswing'ing cam' and cooperating cam rolls for folding off three products oneach revolution of the cylinder whennot collecting,means forshifting the cam from collect to non' c'ollect. position and vice versa, and means for shifting the position of the swinging earn relatively to theicylinderi :5'.-,In a folding mechanism, the-combination of anfolding c 'linder,.is,ets :of sheet taking pins operably supported thereby, means for operating the said pins, means operably connected withthe said pin operating means for operating the pins for collect runs, and means operated by a handle located for convenient manipulation from a point outside the, cylinder for locking the said pin operating means in position to pos'tively operate the pins for non-collect runs. v

6. In a folding mechanism, the combination ofa folding cylinder, sets of sheet taking pins operably supported thereby, means for operating the said pins,

the said pin operating means for operating the means operably connected with the said pins,

for non-collect runslqff r v 7. Ina, to ding-mechanism, the combination of a folding cylinder, sets 9. In a. folding mechanism, 1thfconibiimiibh0f a folding cylindensets of sheet takinglpinsuop erably supported .thereby, means for means operably connec ed with the position to ecbruns."

pin operating operate the pins for collect der, a cam pivoted on the suppol hjrolls cooper'ef -j operating I d movable camvin porting means to operate the D1118 for non-collect 13. In a. foldingmechalfism,

a foldingvcylinder; 

